The Condition of the Oral Mucosa at Age 70: A Population Study1

At oral examinations of 70-year old men (186) and women (199) in Göteborg (H-70-study) it was concluded that the degrees of dental invalidity and the frequencies of oral red, white and hyperplastic lesions were high in spite of the rather good physical conditions of the elderly. Variations in the general health of the subjects and their drug utilizations seemed to participate in the regulation of the threshold levels of the oral tissues against external irritations. A high percentage of the oral lesions were related to local factors, such as dental state, removable dentures, tobacco habits and factors affiliated with secretion of saliva. Insufficient functions of the dentures were found to induce hyperplastic changes even if the dentures had been worn for only a short period of time. Smoking was statistically demonstrated to be a significant contributing factor to tooth losses as well as to the induction of oral white lesions. The supervising responsibilities of the dentists are discussed on the basis of the clinical and statistical findings in this investigation.